Organic farming | Department of Plant Sciences

A young man wearing overalls and a ball cap stands among tall bushes bearing pink, orange and wine-colored flowers

Jalapeños with more pop: Student ag projects blossom during SCOPE Field Day

by Trina Kleist
September 23, 2022

Organic farming

Tastier tomatoes, zingier zinnias, beautiful bell peppers and better beans are among the new crop varieties that student scientists are developing for organic farmers through the SCOPE project, part of the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences and the UC Davis Student Farm.

Man in a greenhouse with small, green plants.

Parker’s proposal: More beans with less water

by Trina Kleist
August 09, 2022

Boutique chefs will be pleased.

Organic legumes already developed by postdoctoral researcher Travis Parker are prized, especially in Southwest cuisine, for their colorful patterns, flavor and texture. Parker’s new work seeks even better, more beautiful beans for arid climes. The Department of Plant Sciences geneticist has received a boost for his work with a $20,000 grant, funded jointly by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

Sheep graze on winter cover crop at Russell Ranch, UC Davis. (photo Alda Pires)

Does livestock grazing benefit organic crops? Multistate research team explores impacts

by Ann Filmer
May 20, 2020

Organic farming

To see if livestock grazing is beneficial in organic farming, or poses food safety risks, multistate research partners received a nearly $1 million grant from the USDA to study the impacts of livestock grazing cover crops on the bacterial population dynamics, soil building, and environmental health. Professor Amelie Gaudin, Plant Sciences, is part of the research team.